Excavations at the late Paleolithic site of Afontova gora IV (Ovrazhnaya) in 2020

The article presents preliminary results of excavations in 2020 at Afontova Gora IV site in Krasnoyarsk. This site is located on the plateau-like top of the Mount Afontova at the hypsometric position of236 m at the root of ancient ravine. The thickness of loose deposits unearthed from the excavation area was constituted by subaerial sandy loams of deluvial genesis and testifies to knob and kettle cryogenic paleorelief. The Paleolithic cultural layer was observed at the contact of the Pleistocene-Holocene deposits in differentpaleolandscape situations: flat surfaces in a relatively horizontal bedding and along the sides of the ravine, where archaeological and paleontological evidence was involved in gravitational processes and was vertically displaced. Numerous faunal remains were mainly represented by reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) bones. In addition to absolutely prevailing debitage of primary reduction, stone inventory included wedge-shaped microcores, end-scrapers, side-scrapers, chisel-like tools, chopper-adzes, retouched blades and flakes, blanks, and fragments of tools. Bone tools including a slotted point and needle fragment were found. Archaeological evidence from the site belongs to the Kokorevo archaeological culture. The preliminary results of the works done in 2020 indicate that short-term Late Paleolithic sites of reindeer hunters were on both sides of ancient ravine in a relatively short chronological range of the Late Sartan period. Traces of redeposition of the cultural layer were observed on the right (southern) side of ravine (point I), which gives hope to discover a settlement in situ in the area to the southwest (between the ravine and the bank of the Yenisei River).